Fwe language

Fwe
cìfwè
RegionZambezi region, Namibia and Western Province, Zambia
Native speakers
10,200 (2006)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3fwe
Glottologfwee1238
K.402[2]
Personmàfwè
Peoplecìfwè

FV:final vowel

Fwe, or Chifwe, is a Bantu language spoken by 10,000 people along the Okavango River in the Zambezi region of Namibia and in the Western Province in Zambia. It is closely related to Kuhane, and is one of several Bantu languages of the Okavango which have click consonants.

Although under the pressure of Lozi and Kuhane (Subiya), Fwe speakers tend to have a positive attitude towards Fwe, and speaking Fwe is often considered an important part of one's identity,[3] and thus underscores the vitality of the language.[4]

  1. ^ Fwe at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
  3. ^ Gunnink 2018, p. 4
  4. ^ Gunnink 2018, p. 5